Manhunter
by Dale Idle Wells
Summary: Response to Dirty Reid's Manhunter Challenge. When he was just ten, Naruto is saved by a human with an evil intent to match the Kyubi no Kitsune. How will he grow under the influence of these powerful monsters? Let's find out.
1. A Day of Blood

Okay, this is my first chapter at my attempt of a Hannibal/Naruto crossover. I will try to keep the chapter length around six to seven pages and content of a similar level through out the story, so this will mean a slow updating speed. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I took this challenge on a whim and I have my own projects to work on right now.

Sorry if this bugs anyone, but that's the way it is.

It will mainly be told from Naruto's side of things, with dabs of insight from Hannibal. I'm also using a younger Hannibal than seen in the original books, but older than seen in the prequel, Hannibal Rising. So it will be a book of growth, altered growth thanks to Naruto, for Hannibal as well as Naruto.

And so with that, I kick off things.

* * *

"…Blah…" = People speaking

…_Blah…_ = People thinking

…**.Blah…** = Demon talking to host

"…**Blah…**" = Demon speaking through host

* * *

**A Day of Blood, How Lovely**

Naruto panted heavily as he slumped on the alley wall, clutching his bleeding side as he tried to escape from those that were chasing him.

Fingers brushed over wood and the pain streaked through him again, Naruto barely managing to stifle a yelp of pain. He looked around and stepped slightly away from the wall, his left hand reaching down to grip his right forearm. The blonde boy straightened his arm and then put his right hand against the cold wall, gritting his teeth as he twisted his shoulder towards the wall. With a pop and a crunch, his dislocated popped back into place and the sharp pain was too great and ten year old Naruto let out a cry of pain.

And this cry was answered, but the one to reply was of a drunken and rage filled intent and the sounds of sandals slapping against the dirt and stone ground. The young man pushed off the wall and forced his shaking, burning legs to run again. He exited the alley and he half stumbled and half ran down the streets, tears blurring his vision as fear blurred his mind.

It wasn't his fault, he never wished for any of this! He never asked for the fox demon to attack the village and he certainly didn't ask for the consequences; for the monstrous beast to be sealed in him. Naruto scampered around a couple, the man flinching at sight of the boy and the woman gasping, and the blonde bolted down the street. Yes, he knew. Ever since he could comprehend words and their meanings, he had been hearing the whispering of the demon in his ears and haunting his dreams. It threatened to devour his soul and set the village ablaze with its hate, all if the boy wasn't careful or strong enough. It was a horrifying thing for a five year old to experience and when he asked for help, the ninjas around him only grew in anger.

Their rage nearly reached a peek when the Sandaime enrolled him at the ninja academy, but they were begrudgingly silenced. Their silence was earned when the Hokage pointed out that the weaker Naruto was, mentally and physically, the easier it was for the demon to break out. But this did nothing to stop them from beating him, cursing him and then their yearly ritual of hunting down the demon boy during the Festival of the Kyuubi, which, by Fate's cruelty, was Naruto's birthday as well.

Ever year, on this same day, he was found and tortured by the villagers, only to revive the next day somewhat healed. He groaned in pain and anger, looking back for moment as he heard voices and light behind grew. Why did it have to always be him and why always on this day? He never did anything to others; he never spoke against them despite their cruelty, he never interacted with their children when he was at the ninja academy, he paid his bills that were too expensive even for an adult where he was living, he ate the food that no man or vermin would touch when they refused to sell him food. So why did they always want to hurt him so badly? Naruto wiped his eyes and rounded a corner, his breath raspy from-

He was suddenly no longer standing but on the ground, dazed from hitting something. It had been soft but firm as well. Pushing up from the ground, he stared at the man that stood before him, giving him a perplexed look. He was well dressed, almost elegantly so with a natural air of refined qualities, but not how people normally dressed around Konoha.

He was dressed in a white shirt that look clean enough to make snow look dirty, a faint blue hue from what he could see in the dim light. A vest of an even richer blue shade of some sort hugged the man's torso somewhat snugly and the ends of the vest stopped somewhere over his waist. A tie was neatly wrapped under his collar and tucked into the vest to keep it from fluttering in the dulling wind. His pants weren't baggy or overly flowing like most people's in the village, but straight fitting and they didn't collect at his shoes like everyone else and it was too dark to see what color they were. His feet weren't in ninja sandals like normal people or even a pair of geta like the old people wore, but black shoes. In his right hand, despite the fact that he didn't appear to need it, was a straight handled cane, a band of silver to distinguish the handle from the body. His left hand held a coat of some sort over his shoulder, only using his two fingers to secure it in place.

Naruto looked to his face and felt his blood going cold, one of the almost immaculate eyebrows of this man raised itself it question to the boy and looked towards him. He had nearly ink black hair, slicked back with what could have been oil and glistened in the low light of the streetlight. His widening eyes showed his true eye color and with the dim setting, the maroon color could have easily been seen as a glinting red color. As he turned more to Naruto, the boy heard the sound of approaching men and forced himself to stand.

Looking around, an alley presented itself to the boy and he bolted like a frightened fox away as the angry mob approached him, the dark eyes of the strange man following him curiously.

* * *

The stranger, the one who Naruto had rudely and accidentally crashed into moments ago, had been enjoying the festivities of the evening. While they weren't the normal outings that he was accustomed to attending to, he found a certain amusement and pleasure in the almost childish activities of the villagers. His times spent in the village, just under half a year, had been most enlightening to him about the various customs and he was enjoying his lesson at the hospital and police department.

And this legend of the mighty Kyubi no Kitsune demon did intrigue him. Legend had it that the fox demon would only gain its nine tails of powers by living well over a thousand years, the fur of the fox saying to turn a dazzling gold or an amber orange. The well dressed man wondered what one could have learnt in a thousand years and licked his lips eagerly, for his hunger of knowledge was ever constant. What other hungers he may have had, had been stated earlier this evening and a few moments ago. But that creature had been able to eat all of his desires, of carnal, intellectual and gluttonous cravings. How lucky of him.

But those thoughts were passed his thoughts, the intention of the mob and the condition of the young child now filling his thoughts. The child was lucky to be alive with such a wound in his side and it seemed that the villagers of Konoha were quite intent on carrying out their bloodthirsty desires. He pondered for moment the pros and cons of going to help the young man or just minding his own business. After all, while the boy was indeed outnumbered and in dire need of medical assistance, the foreigner truly had no idea about the situation behind the actions of the mob and had no real connections to this place save two.

But as he tempted to take a step forward, he was worried to find his legs was shaking with the idea of the task. Why would his body rebel against the very thoughts that he had? He had no stake in the young man and given his professional occupancy and, more importantly, his private affairs, it would behoove him to avoid entangling anyone in either affairs.

A scream, a scream belonging to a terrified young child faintly echoed from down the alley and the foreigner shuddered as another screamed responded from deep with the chasms of his memories. A more feminine and younger voice, once filled with such love and innocence that was now stained with terror and fear, pierced any rational thoughts he may have thought to think.

Why, why did his late sister cry out upon hearing that young man? Was the scream he just utter so loudly and desperately of the same natured that she had once cried out with? He tried to ignore it and grit his teeth as his red eyes stung with tears he refused to shed again, his grip tightening on his cane. The stranger stood still for a few moments more and then sighed long and evenly, turning about and striding smoothly down the alley. And following the trail of blood and stale beer, Hannibal Lector, a guest to the hospital and the ANBU interrogation department, found Naruto.

* * *

Naruto shook from a sickening combination of terror, pain, humiliation and shock, his deep blue eyes frantically scanning the crowd before him. His hyperventilating breaths just shook his body and made the blood seep down his arms faster still. The cause of the blood was both his hand were pinned above his head, a single kunai rammed between the bones of his palms. The wound in side was pulsing with blood as the man before his spun the switchblade before him, the red stained blade swiveling around the man's index finger.

His stomach now had a long line across to his belly button, dark red blood pooling out down his waist and along his leg. The man smiled wickedly with drunken glee and stopped spinning the blade, its black edge glinting under the dark light. The tip dipped down half way along the blade, the curved tip dripping with dark droplets of blood. The hand was also black with both ends covered in a strange texture and the center looked smoother, the greasy finger shifting eagerly as they held it.

His hand blurred and Naruto's eyes flew open as she screamed, the razor sharp weapon embedding into his legs and then his face screwed up as the searing, ripping pain dragged slowly down his thigh. If he squirmed, the drunk just twisted the blade and twitched it back and forth.

The young demon container wished that this would be the end of it all, that this would be the last time he would suffer such abuse from the drunks and the suffering. But the demon, the entity that he suffered for, would just regenerate him again. Bringing him back from the brink of death seemed to be some sort of sick game for the demon and took great glee in torturing him endless with this slow and painful process. Why though? If he died, then the demon died as well and the mighty monster must have known that as well. So why would he risk it like this, just for his amusement?

Or was it because that he was so weak?

"Hey, demon brat! Open your eyes!" The man grabbed the blonde by his hair and smashed his head against the wall, deep blue eyes snapping open as the blade was ripped from his leg. He followed the tip of the knife under his nose as the man swayed it back and forth threateningly. "I want you watch as I carve your eyes out next…."

"I think you wont."

The crispy clear voice that seemed to cut through the foggy and seedy drunkenness that seemed to surround Naruto drew his attacker's eyes away from him, the blade following after him obediently. He gasp in relief as the man let go of his head and he tried to find the source of the voice, which came from just beyond the circle of men.

A torch light lifted and there was that man he bumped into earlier, a red stain of blood evident from where Naruto had hit him.

He gestured to Naruto with his cane and smiled politely. "I believe I have business with that boy there. So, I would greatly appreciate it you would turn him over to me and let me tend to his needs."

The way he spoke and the words he used, Naruto didn't know that men other than the Hokage or the ANBU could carry such respect with a mere utterance. But this man seemed to wield the words with such a graceful elegance and simplicity, that his words could have ruled over the Fire Shadow.

"Piss off, you fucking outsider-scum." The man with the black knife, the apparent ringleader, spat. "I'm a member of the ANBU and we have first dibs on this demonic trash, so you can just wander off."

He began to turn back to Naruto when the man rested his coat on nearby barrel and keenly looked at his cane before looking expectantly at the men. Naruto was stupefied by this; did this foreigner want to end up dead in this back alley, because there was no way eh could dissuade this man. He gulped down the bile that gathered in voice and lifted his head.

"Get out of here, sir! Before they-" He gasped as the man kicked his stomach in, gagging as the air rushed from him.

"Filth is below humans, so filth shouldn't use a human's words." The man sneered, other chuckling.

"Let him go now, before I lose my patience."

Everyone looked at the man this time, each with a varying level of annoyance. He was standing with his legs spread and the cane before himself, both hands over the top of the handle. His dark eyes, a dull red before, now seemed to be steadily growing brighter as his grip tightened on the grip and his breathing seemed to deepen.

Naruto didn't understand this man. This was just what happened to him, no matter how much he hated it, and those that tried to help him, often ended up getting hurt even more than he did. And that was wrong! He could heal, he could take the brunt of their anger unlike normal people and he could survive their rages but this man….

Naruto tried to find the strength to help him but his arms were too heavy and his right leg was destroyed. He wondered how long it would take him to re-grow the muscles and tendons, knowing that he would be useless to help the man.

Which was why, he felt tears prickle at the next words. "You two, go and shut that outside up. I don't care if you cut off his balls, just get rid of him."

* * *

Hannibal stared at the group of men, silently guessing their numbers at some fifteen strong, maybe less. The man had identified himself as being a member of the elite unit of ANBU ninjas, so it was possible that he was the strongest of the group and that meant that he would be the greatest obstacle of the lot. So he had some options; fight his way through them all, tire them out and give them superficial wounds or deliver such a vicious set of attacks that the others would be deterred from even attempting violence with him.

The last action seemed to be the wisest option, the young man watching the two drunkards approach him with two knives with hoops in their hilts, commonly called kunai in this country. He barely shifted his weight as they approached, swinging his left foot gently around as he gripped the handle of his cane with his right hand tightly.

"What, your goanna play samurai with you cane?" One of the advancing drunks asked, spinning the kunai around on his index finger as the other laughed. "Sorry, outsider-kun, but you've lost this fight before-"

Hannibal twisted the handle of his cane and pulled the handle out as he stepped forward to the man. Out from the wooden chamber, a long silver tail of razor sharp metal swept out in a flashing glory and the foreigner thrust the blade forward. He moved with a dancer's grace and an acrobat's flare that seemed to leave his attackers stunned for a moment, allowing his next attack to all the more precise

With him spinning the kunai around his finger, this left the hoop very steady and his hand very vulnerable; the tip of the blade sliced the finger open as it pieced his palm. The blade continued, piecing through the man's wrist and into his shoulder as he screamed in immense pain, Hannibal twisting the handle to turn and lock the arm in place. He didn't even have to use his whole hand to hold this man in place, a slight tilt lifting him up onto his toes and Hannibal barely had to do a thing. He was very found of this sword and this style of swordplay, the subtleties catching the best off guard.

The other man lunged in with his knife, the well dressed man tilting his head away as he also stepped forward. His left hand, the blade having passed over his left shoulder, was the closest limb to his attacker and it shot up quick. The fingertips curled over and the thumb tucked in, Hannibal smiled a little viciously as the man's pupil shrunk as he struck the man's family jewels. His elbow soon shot up afterwards and slammed into the man's throat, the gasping fool curling over as he fell to his side.

The others in the crowd became hushed over the viciously brutal but swift punishment that this foreigner dealt to those that attacked him. His maroon eyes, an illusion of glowing red in the poor lighting, flickered from person to person before settling up the boy and his main tormentor.

"I've already made my request." He said briskly, pulling the sword out with a stunningly fast jerk and the man fell to his knees. "I wont repeat it. Take your wounded and leave."

They mob quickly dispersed, four men shakily braving past Hannibal and his blood stained sword to collect their friends, until it was just the ringleader. The young man swept his sword around with a simple roll of the wrist, the angular tip pointing to the ground as the foreigner regarded the Konoha ninja with contempt and distain.

"And you? Will you hand over the boy?"

* * *

Naruto was in shock. Both the medical term and the mental state, due to his attackers and now this foreigner, who had swiftly and effortlessly dispatched of his two foes. The young blonde was fighting a loosing battle with his consciousness to remain instead of abandoning him at this crucial moment. He had never seen a fighting pattern like this before and never had it shaken a group of ninjas so solidly. Naruto was shocked that they were dispersing after all and now all that was left was the man who had been carving him up.

"Hand him over? Just because you managed to cripple two weak-ass Chunin?" The man spat, tossing the switchblade up and catching it in a reverse grip. "I just want to rip you into shreds now!"

He then pivoted and slammed the knife into Naruto's side.

And as the young boy screamed, the self proclaimed ANBU began to flash through hand seals and his rescuer tried to rush in. The ninja, clearly more experienced than the other two that the foreigner had downed easily, managed to vanish and reappear on a roof edge.

He finished his hand seals and smiled wickedly and he took in a massive breath. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"

Multiple orbs of fire flew from his mouth and the man darted to the side, leading the fireballs away from Naruto. The ANBU ninja cackled above Naruto and began to hurtle dozens of shuriken at the man, the younger fighter fending a fair amount off with his strange sword. Another volley of fire shot out and the stranger began to dart from side to side, sliding his sword along the ground to collect the littered shuriken on the floor.

But there was something that bothered Naruto; this man was obvious a highly trained fighter and therefore a talented ninja, so why didn't he use any Jutsu attacks? He didn't use any to fortify his attacks or increase his speed, that much the blonde could sense but why did he always try to close the space between them.

**I see…He has no chakra, just blood rushing through his veins…**The demonic voice filled his voice and Naruto shuddered, the Kyubi no Kitsune finally awoken within him.

_What do you mean, Kyubi-teme?_ Naruto asked, hoping he could pry some knowledge from him. _You mean he can't use any chakra?_

**I mean that his soul and body don't produce any chakra of any kind. He cannot….because he isn't a child of the Eastern Lands.**

That threw Naruto for a good loop. That meant he was either from the Northern or Western lands. The people of the Northern lands were said to live in tribes and like a very nomadic life, while utilizing a strange power source known as Grace, which gave them a unique ability to themselves. They weren't savages but they were more at him in the forests and plains, living in balance with nature. The people of the Western lands were supposed to just be different from the Eastern Lands, specializing in different areas than their neighbors. They built strange devices and armaments that operated with no Chakra or any assisting energies of any sort, rather relying on refined elements gather from the earth. They did study a strange science called Alchemy, which combined various elements into one object and could break an object down.

But this man, he wasn't displaying any kind of ability.

Naruto suddenly felt fear well up in him, watching the foreigner backpedaled as the Konoha ninja leapt down and began attacking him with a strange chain that had a hook on one end. Then he felt anger welling up in him, angry that his weakness had dragged this man into his problems and now he would pay a heavy price for his act of kindness. He didn't have to die but the ANBU didn't seem to care about that, he didn't care about any life and that enraged Naruto to no end.

And with that rage, a door, sealed by the will of a man and a child, cracked open, the evil within Naruto stirring and grinning gleefully.

**Do you wish to save him?**

Many times the demon asked him such questions; if he wished to fight back, if he wished he could make the pain stop, if he wished he could leave the city, if he wished to have the people of Konoha kneel before him. Each time, nearly a hundred times over in the five years he had spoken with the boy, young Naruto had show resilience to the demon's voice and lure and given the same answer. No.

But this time…

_Just give me a little…this time, I'll take a little to make him pay…_Naruto growled as he looked up, his deep blue eyes darkening to a rich red color.

The Kyubi no Kitsune would have howled with glee, pushing what demonic chakra the boy could handle into his body. The time had finally come.

* * *

Hannibal stopped as he saw the ninja freeze, the chain hanging limply in his hand, as his face took on an impression of absolute terror. His enemy was shaking with such terror that he had never, not even when he was about to kill people. This was something else, something intriguing to the young doctor.

Then he felt it too, the cold feeling sweeping through the alley and that sensation! A killing sensation that he had never felt before, like the being had been born to kill and had a thousand years to perfect his talents. A feeling that Hannibal, who had no religious feelings what so ever, could only describe as….

….demonic.

They both looked at the blonde boy and both were greeted with a fierce sight that should have been with the ten tear old boy. Red energy swept around his body, his lips curling up as his teeth lengthen into canines that should have been on a rabid wolf. His eyes changed as well, what Hannibal had clearly seen as deep blue eyes were a crimson red color of a bloodthirsty intent. Those markings on his cheeks, three perfect stripes, darkened and became more intense, highlighting his fangs and eyes even more.

He slowly closed his hands around the kunai that held him in place and his arm flexed but never shook as they lifted his frail body up. His lifted his face up next to the blade, the swirling energy slowly covering his body like a transparent suit of armor. The young boy barked as he shoved his hands forward, pushing the kunai out from the wall and out from his hands.

The blonde boy, who should have been unable to move, landed on all fours, his hand gripping the floor as his legs gathered under his body. His eyes went from Hannibal, with some strange softenss in them, the to this proclaimed ANBU member, his claws tearing into the earth as his rage boiled.

And with a flare of power, he shot forward. Not just leaping four feet or even six, but a full twenty feet this blonde boy lunged in a single bound and struck his attacker with a powerful kick from both his feet. The man flew back into a wall, cracking the stone and gasping from the force as the young man used the impact to flip onto the ledge of a building. He reached to his side and ripped the switchblade out without hesitation, the blade soon dancing around his fingers with a magician's mystique.

And Hannibal noticed something else, and that was that the other wounds were healing. No, his skin looked as though he just had hot chili sauce spilled upon his chest and clothes. The wound on his side seemed to close like a mouth, resealing itself at a rapid pace that was normally seen when you sped up a film.

"**For ever ounce of blood spilt from this kit, for every blow you ever gave him….**" Hannibal felt breathless at the sound of his voice, it was so…majestic. "**….I shall repay the favor a hundred times due!**"

He then vanished from the ledge, reaping before the ninja as though he were landing in a crouch. The man tried to kick him, but the young blonde boy punched his knee back. The impact was so powerful that the shin kept going around because the restriction of the joint was gone, for the child had broken it. The ANBU ninja screamed as he fell, now head level with the boy and he gasped as the boy put his hand through the man's chest.

As he pulled it out, Hannibal felt his blood freeze as the boy licked his hand and the ninja sneered weakly and spat at him.

"I …. knew you….were…. a monster…." He managed to squeeze out before the boy grabbed him by the neck.

"**This kit has never fed on flesh before…besides…**" Hannibal carefully approached the two, the possessed boy glancing back at him with a taunting smile. "**…do you know how demons get their strength in this land?**"

Hannibal couldn't say he knew because demons were supposed to be just a legend. He supposed that they grew stronger from the wickedness in the world, the evil just fuel to their internal engines of power. But he had no real ideas, so he simply shook his head.

The boy looked back at dying man and chuckled, raising the blade with an elaborate spin.

"**We are monsters of chakra, we feed upon the chakra of the world….and of those that live in it.**" It explained, tearing the man's throat open. "**And so, from eating the flesh of humans with chakra, we can absorb huge amounts at once. From one man, I can get a tenth of my one of my tails and give it to this boy.**"

And with that, the demon possessing the boy known as Uzumaki Naruto, known by it's true name as Kyubi no Kitsune, bite down upon the exposed flesh of his tormentor, Hannibal Lector looking on in fascination and wonder.

* * *

And there is the first chapter, one of my more twisted projects but I think this might be fun so it will be worth it.

I will be explaining more about Hannibal in the next two chapters and his style. I didn't want to do a complete remake of him in the story because frankly, I find that very tacky. He will be very Hannibal in the base sense but he won't be this cut-and-paste camp version of him. I'll try to work in some quotes but I will try to make unique stuff up for him at the same time.

And the demon stuff will be explained more, as will the different regions, how Hannibal is there in the first place, why he's using a cane sword and other stuff. But this is my starting chapter. Let me know what you think and I'll see what I can do to accommodate. There will be romance but that will be later on, probably much later and yes, cannon people are going to change. Lots of people will be a tad bit different because I'm using the Butterfly Principle with this story.

So, I'm signing off at….2:45 am and I'll see you all later with the next chapter in the future.

- Lin


	2. After Morning Mourning with Debussy

Ah, here is chapter two. Another set-up chapter and somewhere I can drop little hints for the future. I put in the legend in the previous chapter, so I'm not going to do it again. If you forget, just hop back to the first chapter and then continue on.

So enjoy reading.

* * *

**After Morning Mourning with Debussy**

He was dreaming again, Naruto always able to tell the difference from his reality and dreams. In here, it was the one place that he could completely pretend and he was able to be happy with his elaborate imagination. Naruto was able to escape of the torment, pain and hatred that he was forced to endure while awake. It was probably the reason he liked to sleep so much, not to mention that the brunt of his regeneration happened when he slept.

And this was his favorite dream. He was sitting with his mother and father, laughing happily. They had just finished lunch and they were now reminiscing over the day's events. Naruto was in the middle of showing his parents what his classmate Kiba had done with his pet when the light seemed to dim.

The blonde boy stopped waving his arms and hung his head, the lightheartedness that had filled his heart slowly dimming and he tilted his head to his left. "What do you want?"

The Kyubi no Kitsune always appeared to his left and he always appeared in guise of human, always a woman. He didn't know why and he never bothered to ask about it, not wanting to anything about the dark entity that he was forced to harbor within his body. This was why he never bothered to look at the demon within him, because it was always the same thing and it always served to bring him down.

"**We need to talk…about last night.**" She said in a oddly gentle fashion, a strange change. There was no demand or seduction in her voice, but rather a simple request from him. "**Something happened….something we need to discuss.**"

He looked to her and saw the image hadn't changed, not even in the slightest way over the five years.

The Kyubi's mirage had skin that was pale, almost to the point that it was snow-like in tone and this was sharply contrasted by the red that coated her. Her hair, eyes, lips and nails, all a very strong and royal red color in what he assumed was an attempt to imitate her chakra. Her hair swayed and curled around her, but this was only the bangs and the back of her hair was pulled into a neat bun. Neatly as always, she was sitting on a chair with her hands in her lap and her long nails, more like talons, gently curled over her palms. The Kyubi was adorned in a red dress with white highlights that were forming into some shape but Naruto was never interested in the design enough to see what it was. Going up her body was white blouse with a red emblem that Naruto couldn't even begin to describe and a fox curled around it, the clothes hugging close to her generously figured body that most men would die to have haunt their minds. But with Naruto it was more so a form of torture from the Kyubi, the fox showing him what he could have if only he didn't bear her inside of him.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked in confusion and worry, having blacked out when he took on the demon's chakra. What had this thing done while it was in control?

"**You will not like what I had to do…**" She said, turning away from the boy and Naruto was surprised to see a black mark on her neck but that was lost with the words she said.

"What did you do?" He asked in a hushed tone, the woman standing and walking to him.

He flinched as she raised a finger and rested it to his forehead, smiling sadly. Naruto wondered why she was like this; any other time she would be goading him on about all that he could never have and threatening his life constantly. But why was this time any different?

"**Look and see what I had to do to save us…**" She said as she pressed her other hand to her forehead and the Kyubi closed her eyes, the room fading to white as his forehead grew warm…

* * *

_It was the night again, he was pinned to the wall but Naruto was looking at himself. Hovering above the ground and glowing in an ethereal light. Something held his hand and he fought to keep from flinching when he saw it was the Kyubi's mirage. But seeing her solemn face, he quickly looked back to the scene as it unfolded._

_Naruto never knew that he could be empowered by the Kyubi, so to actually see the regeneration happening and then the cloak of chakra cover his body was a massive shock. And the power; it was nothing like he had ever seen or felt before, even from the Hokage. As he fought back against his tormentor and crippled him with ease that should not have been gifted to a ten year old boy, Naruto felt a deep sickening sensation wash over him as his body perched over the man's prone figure. He looked at the Kyubi again but this time she had turned her face aside, away from the young boy and then the voice filled his ears._

"_**This kit has never fed on flesh before…besides…**__" The possessed boy paused, glancing back at the stranger with a smile that dangled greater knowledge than any human could know of. "__**…do you know how demons get their strength in this land?**__" _

_Naruto felt a wave of terror surge within him. He really didn't like the way that this was going and tried to pull away from the demon but she held tight. Naruto jerked, he bit her and he even kicked her knee but she held on no matter what. It was as though their hands had become one and he realized that because they were one, he could undo themselves._

_But the stranger that had saved him hadn't fled yet and was watching them intently, the demon possessed boy answering those that were witnessing the scene unfold._

"_**We are monsters of chakra, we feed upon the chakra of the world….and of those that live in it.**__" It explained, tearing the man's throat open with the black switchblade and basking in the arterial spray that coated the vessels face. "__**And so, from eating the flesh of humans with chakra, we can absorb huge amounts at once. From one man, I can get a tenth of my one of my tails and give it to this boy.**__"_

_Naruto felt the color leaving his face as he watched himself feed upon the dying man and screamed in terror as the demonic version of him seemed to take such glee in drinking the blood that sprayed out. The sharp canine tore chunks of flesh out as though it were ravaging a carcass of a deer and it would die without the ill gained sustenance. His body ripped the chest open and Naruto felt his stomach twist in terror as he licked along the bones and tendons. _

"_Do you need to do this constantly to survive or do you retain the power that you gain from each meal?" The fact that the stranger was able to speak shocked Naruto and it terrified him that it was in such a calm and curious manner._

_The blood stained image of Naruto tore a chunk of flesh off and turned to the man, sitting back as a dog would on his haunches. It swallowed before answering the man, regarding him cautiously with it glowing red eyes. "__**I rarely eat the flesh of humans, despite the fact that they carry the greatest amounts of chakra in the East and the purest concentration, and when I do, my power in permanently added.**__" She answered, the man nodding in thought. "__**What of you, man of the West? You don't seem so surprised to see such an act.**__"_

"_I have seen much in my life, including a great many things done in the need of survival that other would condemn as evil." He answered smoothly, offer a hand to the demon possessed boy. "I believe I shall show my thanks with my manners to someone who saved me just now. I am Hannibal Lecter."_

"_**Hmm, such a polite human, not like the regular filth of this village. And to return the courtesy shown earlier and the manners, I am the Kyubi no Kitsune and this boy I inhabit is named Uzumaki Naruto.**__" The demon said, standing and firmly shaking the other man's hand before falling to his knees. The face of Uzumaki Naruto was cover in seat and the demonic appearance was retreating, the man named Hannibal kneeling down to see what was wrong. "__**I have over taxed the body, even with the extra nourishment. Please, I beseech you, Lecter-san, take care of this vessel, this boy till dawn….I need to rest….need to heal…**__"_

_And with that, the scene began to shine into a bright white and as the boy collapsed in the memory, Naruto finally pulled out of the memory…_

* * *

Naruto fell back form the touch of the Kyubi and stared at her in anger and horror, his hands clenching so tightly until they shook with tension. He felt disgusting; he felt so vile and violated that he had been made to eat a person while under the influence of this thing. Many would say that there was no way to stop the demon but Naruto knew, he knew that he should never have agreed to use this monster's power in the first place. The Kyubi's mirage looked down at him with a mixture of regret and contempt, like it was offended that Naruto would be so angry after it helped him.

"Why…how could you?!" Naruto finally yelled, the demon blinking in what may have been a form of recoil. "You made me eat someone!!"

"**You were dying from those wounds, wounds that you've never received before because you didn't fight back.**" She said tensely, her lips quivering to reveal her fangs slightly. "** …I had to do something to save my vessel! Since you refuse to do anything to save yourself, I took measures to start preparing you. I didn't want to take them but I had to ensure that you had something to protect yourself!**"

"But eating someone's flesh? That almost makes me less than a human!" Naruto yelled, scrambling to his feet and glaring at her. "It's like your making me into more of…"

She glared at him and snarled in anger. "**Like what? A demon?**"

"Yes!"

"**Your wrong!**" Her scream silenced him, the young man staring at her in confusion as she breathed heavily and blinked when she turned away. "**Your wounds are healed and you should be rested enough to move. Go and wake up.**"

"….what did you mean something to defend myself with? Preparing me for what?" Naruto asked after a while but she remained silent. "What did you do for me?"

"**I'm not in the mood to have my gifts trampled on because of your anger to me.**" She said coldly, glancing back at him with her eyes glaring bright red as she lifted her hands at the ready to snap. The pressure from her index finger and her thumb was making her skin white, her anger just held back. "**Awaken and get a move on with your life.**"

_Snap!_

* * *

Naruto gasped as he opened his eyes and groaned as he felt how sore his body was, rolling over from his side. He looked down at his stomach and gingerly ran his fingers along were the wounds had previously been, sighing as rested his head back. He never really thought about it but the Kyubi no Kitsune always healed him so quickly, even when she was annoyed with him and he had done something stupid. Yes, he realized that it was because that if he died so would she but why would she heal him from simple things like a paper cut or a bruise?

The demon was either much more clever than he thought or there was something else that hadn't been seen yet.

As he sat up, Naruto realized that he wasn't wearing his normal black shirt and orange pants and he wasn't outside in the rain he heard on the window panes. He was shirtless and was only covered in what looked like white hospital pants, the drawstring left in loose bowknot. He looked around and saw that there was a white button shirt by the door, hanging on what should have held a pair of pants as well.

Slowly, he stood and took in the room as he crossed the space from the bed to the door. It was clearly a guest room, the bed probably a twin size and the room sparsely fashioned. There was a wooden night table beside the bed and a most bare bookcase in the far corner of the room, a simple table stationed near it. He slowly took the shirt from the hanger and slid it on, glancing at the pale yellow floor boards as he proceeded to button up the shirt. The room was probably in a hundred times better condition than that of his entire apartment.

With a tentative grip, the young boy pushed the handle down and opened the door. He glanced around to see a hallway leading to a main door and then took the time to observed the living space he was in.

He estimated that he was probably in an apartment and going by the view he saw from the window opposite him, this was probably in the upper end of society, possible in the east of the village judging by the view he got from the Hokage monument. The space before him looked to be the living room, the majority of it in a small step down from the wooden floorboards he was standing on. The encompassed squared was covered in a creamy carpet with assorted furniture, two large chairs, a long couch and a coffee table with various odd bits on it, cover some of the space. Strangely enough, there wasn't a TV but a simple stereo and it was on softly, playing a sweet piano melody.

But one thing that caught his eyes was the table right beside the window and the small pile of bloody tissues covering it. The blue cane that held the lethal sword in it was rested peacefully atop a small stand and the way the sunlight caught the stained wood, it sprayed the ceiling with an ocean blue hue. Deciding to not touch the object at all costs, Naruto opted to look into move of the apartment he was in.

Stepping forward from the door way, he could see two walls on his left sectioned off a space near the front door and the living room. He guessed that it might be the kitchen given its size and the tiling that lead into there. To his right, there was a small room that looked to be a study and a closed door he summarized had to be the bathroom. But the layout of this house wasn't what really got Naruto, but it was how simply fashioned it was. It was like the person living here hardly spent any time in the place, just coming and going from work.

As he stepped into the living room, the song change over and the silence in the room and the young boy awaited the next song. And soon it came, softly with a piano but then reinforced with a string instrument he wasn't familiar with. He rarely got to hear music so clearly or for so long that he stood just at the edge of the living room and took in the dance of stings and keys that seemed to float and play with each other. There was a case resting atop of the stereo haphazardly, the words _Greatest Contemplations by Debussy_ scrawled on it in an airily fashion. Naruto could now see that there were various bookcases and dozens of books lining the room, as well as drawings. Hand sketched and patiently created, the sketched seemed to show a different image of the Eastern Lands, from the waterfall of Takigakure's remote regions to the industrial landscape of Kusagakure's more developed cities.

But then there were images that Naruto had never even heard of before and regarded them briefly before looking at the books in the room. A lot of them were science based and having 'ology' involved with the subject title. A History of Pathology, Human Anatomy and Biology, Advance Psychology of Criminal Behavior, Botany and the Origins of Plants and the titles just went on for most of the books. The last bookcase he came to, near the kitchen door and resting near the large glass window, was different from the others. The topics and title ranged from cook books entitled Cooking in the Elemental Countries to musical subjects like A Look Inside Modern Opera to fictional prose like The Invisible Man.

In fact, Naruto found that there were several fiction books that covered the shelves and while he read one or two books, the titles were none that he was familiar with. But some titles like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Stand and Pride and Prejudice looked like they might have been interesting to read though. Maybe when he was older and he could understand them….

"Ah, you awake." Naruto jumped as though he had been shocked and whipped around. The man with slicked back hair and maroon eyes was standing at the mouth of the hallway, holding a bag of unseen contents but Naruto could smell food coming from it. "Sorry I startled you, you were sleeping when I left and I didn't think you would wake so soon."

Naruto nodded and very softly spoke his thanks, the man smiling and nodding his head. He approached the boy with an air of nonchalance and turned into the kitchen, the young blonde peering from around the corner. They older, although he didn't look as old as some of the others in the village, began unpacking the bag he had been carrying. Some vegetables, some red meat and rice came out but also some olive oil, white cloths, a long gray slab, a hammer and what looked like a very long pin. The man looked thoughtful for a moment a he moved the food from the island in the center of the room to the counter behind him and then smiled again at Naruto, a gesture that served to encourage the shy boy to come out from around the corner.

"Naruto, that's your name, isn't it?" He asked the young boy, Naruto blinking in surprise.

"You know who I am?" He asked reflexively in surprise and then remembered everything that the Kyubi had shown him, certain pieces falling into place. "Oh, the Kyubi, she told you my name."

"If that is what you refer to the entity within you, then yes." He said, surprising Naruto with his continuous pleasant attitude. "My name is Hannibal Lecter and I'm very pleased to meet you."

Naruto blushed lightly at the man's words and bowed his head. "Thank you for rescuing me and letting me rest here."

"Oh, it was no trouble, I assure you." The man named Hannibal said with a dismissing wave. "I was wondering if you would like something to eat and if you could bring my cane here. I need to finish cleaning it."

"I would really like some food but I have to get to school. I'm going to be in trouble with Iruka-Sensei for being late." He apologized sadly, fighting back the growl his stomach wanted to give in rebellion.

He would be in trouble with the other teachers rather than Iruka, the other members of staff taking any chance to punish the boy. He could see the clock behind the man read ten fifteen and the first class started at eight thirty, so there was no way he could just slip in unnoticed. Maybe if he managed to mingle with everyone at lunch, he could fib his way past them by saying he was using Henge no Jutsu so avoid people.

The man snorted lightly and shook his head, the young man taken back by that action. Did that mean that he was unable to leave? Oh Kami, he was going to kill him for eating that ninja last night and he was trying to keep him busy until he got his sword.

"I spoke with the Hokage this morning when giving in my report of last nights events." Lecter-san said as he took his coat off, the words he said making the boy lose strength in his legs and only stayed upright because of the wall behind him. "And he agrees with me on my assessment on the situation. He concluded that you should have some time off from school under my care to ensure that everything is alright with you."

Okay, that he didn't see coming. "What? Agreed with your assessment?" Naruto asked in disbelief. He wasn't going to die?

Hannibal smiled and took a folded piece of paper out from his coat, placing the paper before the boy on the table as he explained. "I informed him of the mob attack on you and that you managed to divert my attacker's attention so I could finish him off, saving the life of a guest to the Hokage." He nodded behind the boy. "Please, Naruto, my cane if you would please."

His mouth hanging open, he stumbled out of the kitchen and made his way to the wooden walking aide. How….why….who was this man and why was he risking so much to save him? He grasped the can with both of his tiny hands tightly and hurried back to Lecter-san, his mind swimming so much that he stumbled slightly. His savior grasped the cane between his hands and the young boy's shoulders, giving him a concerned look.

"Are you alright?"

"No, because no one is ever this nice to me." Naruto admitted, Hannibal sadly regarding the boy before he took his cane and helped him onto a chair. "People only ever want to hurt me or kill me because of the demon fox."

Hannibal nodded and walked back around to where he had emptied the bag, pausing to think. He then looked at Naruto honestly. "Have you ever heard of a saying from on of the Northern tribes, the Krounens, in their native tongue? It's goes like this; Kündigen die Übeltäter, einfach. Verstehen Sie die Übeltäter, unmöglich." Hannibal said, slipping into a slightly rougher language and then pausing as the words sunk into the boy's ears. "Roughly translated into the language of the East, this means 'there is nothing easier to do than denounce the evildoer; there is nothing harder than understanding the evildoer'."

Naruto's understanding, or lack there of, was evident by his questioning face and Hannibal smiled. He smoothly lifted his sword from his side, resting the smeared silver blade on the island counter top before continuing on.

"Naruto, how could I judge anything about you if I haven't witnessed anything that you've done? What the Kyubi no Kitsune did before it was sealed within you is its own business and no fault of yours." Hannibal explained calmly, unscrewing the olive oil and pouring some on a white cloth. "I do not see you as the demon and I just wish to make sure that you are alright."

Naruto smiled at the kind words and lowered his face to the look at the floor as tear prickled the corners of his eyes. He had never had anyone, bar Iruka-sensei, say something so kind to him and sincerely mean it to him; having so many lies flung at him, he was able to tell when a person was lying rather well. And this man wasn't, Lecter-san honestly was being kind to him. Lifting his head, he watched as Hannibal began wiping the blade off and bringing it original shine back to it.

Now that he was in a more relaxed state, he was able to look at the sword and see the small details of it. The blade was little more than an inch and a half wide and had a ridge running down the center, all the way to a elongated triangle shaped point. The smears left on the blade were the last remained of blood from fight the drunks off in the alley and now that it was gone, the blade looked absolutely magnificent. The handle was a perfect cylindrical, with enough room for one and half of Hannibal's hands to hold it and a silver band around the start of the blade.

"I've never seen a sword like that before." Naruto said at last, Hannibal glancing at him in amusement. "Where is it from?"

"This sword, commonly called here as a cane sword, is based upon a design of swords from the Western countries. The traditional design is called a rapier." He explained slowly, the young boy nodding as he studied the sword intently.

"Rapier…" He shuddered at the similarities to the word reaper that the sword name had.  
"It's not a common weapon here in the East and involves the use of special swordplay known as fencing." Hannibal said, holding the sword out over the table and with the flick of a wrist, made the blade blur with a _swish_ in the air. "A series of quick and precise cuts delivered from a flexible and strong wrist, all the while dancing around the range of your opponent's attacks."

Naruto nodded in awe and thought back to the night he was rescued, remembering how easily the man had maneuvered around his opponents. It was like he dancing more so than fighting off his attacker and forcing them to partake in his deadly waltz. But another element of last night emerged and he looked at Hannibal in confusion.

The man had sheathed his sword and was filling a bowl with water, reading a book on the kitchen counter that must have been a cook book. Maybe he was making a stir-fry of some sort, so maybe he was too busy to talk.

"Lecter-san…"

"Lecter-san, oh my. Such a title for a young man like me, you must hold me in high regards or think I look older than I actually am." Hannibal teased lightly as he glanced back at the boy, Naruto chuckling despite the light blush on his face. "Yes, what is it, Naruto?"

"I was wondering something. You're clearly a very experienced fighter but you weren't using any Justus during your fight with the ANBU shinobi." Naruto said, his brow drawing close with confusion. "Why is that?"

"It's simple. I don't have any chakra." Hannibal said as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Why not?" Naruto asked, confused. "You moved faster than the others there and your probably stronger the average person."

Hannibal stopped completely and shrugged, looking at the young man. "I honestly don't know. At the hospital, during breaks between my shifts there, we tried to implement this chakra into my body, but other than extreme and brief boosts of adrenaline, it does nothing." Hannibal explained. "I am of a Western heritage, so that might explain it to some degree."

"Then how did you come to live here?"

"Oh, that is a story I would rather save for another time." Hannibal said, turning back to the food. "I was curious about something that the Hokage told me; is it true that you live on your own? I would have thought that you would have had a guardian of some sort."

He realized that he must have over stepped his boundaries with Lecter-san and hung his head slightly at the question that was put forth to him. No one wanted the cursed and tainted child that bore the weight of the Kyubi no Kitsune, not trusting him with the heavy weight that he was given. Everyone waited to see him crack, crumble under the demon's influence and just succumb into a ravaging monster that it was before. Then there was the rest of the villages, the majority of them, that viewed him as the reincarnation of the savage monster that had ravaged the village a decade ago.

It was too much weight for a child like him to bare, he knew that, but he also knew that he couldn't do anything about it. It was the burden that he had to carry and he could cry about it or could just suck it up and move on. Naruto had cried a lot the first few nights after he found out but he didn't have the heart to keep weeping.

"Yeah, no one wanted me." Naruto admitted, lightly wringing his hands. " 'sides, it's safer for other people that I'm living on my own."

"Because of the demon?" Naruto hung his head and Hannibal cut something with more force that necessary. "What of your parents? Did you try and find them?"

"I did when I was older and on my own, but the most I found out was that they had died on the frontlines fighting the Kyubi." Naruto recalled, proud that his parents had made some stand to such a fierce foe.

"It sounds very brave of them, considering that I was terrified when I felt the demonic presence." The foreigner confessed, looking at the boy and nodding. "I'm sure they would be proud of you."

Naruto sadly looked out a window; he was tired of hearing that. His parents had died to protector their home and their son from the very thing he was forced to harbor, but someone had saved the beast instead of outright killing it. The Fourth Hokage, the legendary man who sacrificed his life to halt the monster and seemingly kill it had also condemned Naruto. Never would he be free from the monstrosity sealed in him by the forbidden technique that the Fourth had used.

The young blonde wondered want his parents would then think of him if they found out that the demon had forced his body to….

His eyes widened and he remembered something. "Lecter-san! What happened to the ANBU's body after I…" Naruto hesitated before continuing. "….after I ate him?"

"Hmm, I believe what was left of him was taken to the morgue and then his family came to collect him." Hannibal informed him, missing the young's grief filled face. "They said something about giving him a ceremony sometime this week."

"Lecter-san, I have to go and do something!" Naruto said as he quickly stood and bowed to his host. "I'll be back for lunch, but I have to take of something."

* * *

Hannibal regarded the boy for a moment. His small and tender frame was so tense with whatever was churning inside of him that he was slightly shaking. His small hands were balled tightly by his sides and he couldn't meet Lecter's eyes. He was probably still in agony over what he had done to his attacker and maybe he had to go and vent.

"Of course, young man. Remember, this is Glowing Lotus apartments, residence thirty eight." He told the young man, walking with him to the door and hand him a black scarf. "Just so you don't catch cold."

Naruto hesitated in taking the piece of cloth but he did, smiling gingerly at Lecter as he wrapped it around his neck. "I'll try not to take long, Lecter-san. I wouldn't want to miss your delicious meal."

"Don't worry, I can wait. I'll just do some paper work while you're out." Hannibal said gently, pleased with the boy's politeness and opened the door for him. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Yes, Lecter-san. Thank you for everything." He said with a small bow before hurrying out of the apartment.

Hannibal watched him go with some amusement and closed the door, sighing. He liked the boy's energy and it had been refreshing to have him, since it also gave him reason to neglect his paper work. His work within the hospital, both as a surgeon and a psychiatrist, gave him much written work to deal with and with the assisting profile work he was doing with the ANBU, it was a tiring amount of work. He had also unintentionally given himself more work than necessary when he decided to cover up for Naruto, but he believed it was worth it.

He picked up a folder and rested it on the counter, opening it as he began to cook. He had to fill out this official form regarding the events that had occurred and this meant listing the people involved. Honestly, paperwork would be the death of him yet. Himself, one young child named Uzumaki Naruto and….oh, what was that ANBU's name again? Oh yes, Haruno Marukai.

* * *

Hmm, I wonder, what one earth have I just set-up for the future? Yes, I am making this a little more twisted that my usual stories but then again, such a story requires a different direction of writing than normal. This does mean that I am changing the relationship between a lot of cannon characters, but I think it will be in a good way. Give it some tension and some conflict, tasty stuff.

Yes, I have made the Kyubi a female and no, that is not the direction of the romance, although it is a complication that arises later on; though, I gotta admit, I do like the way I described her, sounds like a good time. I did steer away from the history of Hannibal because….well, just because I could. I do have his history planned out and it does make sense, but I am going over it with some friends before I implement it. And we still have a few more things to get through before we start getting into that, such as what Naruto is up to. As for our favorite blonde's personality…well, you'll see it better in later chapters

Also, there is a pun with the ANBU's first name, Murakai. Roughly translated, it's made up of the words "circular" and "cut" and those seem to be the fashion in which attacked, a contradiction ton Hannibal's style.

Anyway, I'm signing out here. Peace out and check you all later.

- Lin


	3. Watch Your World Burn

Well, here is another chapter with some more angsty stuff in it but it's for a good reason and it's helping the story move at it's intended pace, which is nice. And I'm glad to see so many people are putting an alert out on this story and adding it to their favorite, it really makes me think I'm actually doing a decent job with this idea.

However, it still would be nice to hear your thoughts, questions or even disagreements (if there are any) regarding the story in a review. I will reply in the story or via the reply review feature.

But anyway, here we go. Let's get back to the story.

* * *

**Watch Your World Burn**

Naruto ran, his short legs propelling his body with great speed and agility as he traversed across the rooftops of Konoha. He found that this was the fastest way to the reach wherever he may have been going since it eliminated dealing with people a tremendous amount. A slight push of chakra allowed him to clear the gaps between buildings and a slight roll in his landing prevented any unnecessary injuries. And he was lucky, because his destination was fairly close.

He carefully dropped down in an alley and peered around the area before he looked at the Shinto shrine before him. This was one of the few places that offered him shelter when he was trying to escape the drunken villagers and had been willing to offer him some small amounts of food. Not that it compared to the Ramen that the old man cooked for him at Ichiraku Ramen Bar, but he wasn't one to be rude to those offering him help and ate with he monks in silence.

Wrapping the scarf around his neck so the tails didn't hang out so much, Naruto hurried into the shrine and hurried himself past those that sneered or glared at him. He looked around quickly as he moved and caught sight of Brother Singe behind a half closed doorway. He began to approach the elderly man but stumbled when he saw a flash of pink hair cross the door way and the young blonde hid himself beside the closed door. There was only one person that had pink hair, only one family.

Haruno Sakura and her mother were the only people with natural sharp pink hair color in Konoha. Why was it that bit of common knowledge make his stomach twist?

"I assure you, Haruno-san, preparations are being made for your husband's funeral." Brother Singe kind voice floated through the crack of the door. "We hope you have photo ready for display."

"Oh, of course, Singe-nee-san." The woman sounded so pleasant and gentle, an almost complete contrast to her husband.

The monks were kind as always, a reprieve to all in the chaos of life. But that didn't mean he always asked the right questions. "Do you have idea what happened to him yet?" Those nine words sent a racing chill in his body.

"The report is still being processed by a foreign man who found him but I had to identify the body…" She paused and Naruto could feel his heart clenching painfully as he heard her sob lightly. "It was horrible…his chest and neck torn apart as though an animal had eaten away at him."

Naruto's right hand held his stomach and his hand was near his mouth, his teeth biting down hard on his index finger. His eyes squeezed shut as he heard the woman crying, each sob cutting away at his heart. His own eyes stung as tears streamed down his face and his breathing shuddered as he tried to keep himself from crying. The salty and iron taste of blood trickled into his mouth as he bit his finger, cursing the heavens for letting this happen.

He was a monster….

…**Would you rather you had died in his stead?....** Naruto shook with anger at the calm and callous voice of his inner demon, but he was unable to say anything in response. Because deep down, he knew he didn't want to die.

…_not today, not now…please…_Naruto begged as squeezed his leaking eyes shut. _…any other time, but not now. Leave me be…_

The fox growled lightly and he felt his skin scald for a moment, but it left him be. The young blonde lifted his head and looked around him, still conscious and the fox had left him. He could still hear Sakura's mom in the private room, weeping as Brother Signe spoke kind words to her. Pulling his raw and bleeding finger from his mouth, Naruto hurried himself from the temple.

He half stumbled, half ran away from the temple and his tears stung his eyes, blinding him. Naruto must have bumped into half a dozen people down the street before he rounded a corner. And he came within inches of Haruno Sakura.

He emerald eyes were stained red and her pink hair was disarrayed, the prettiest girl had seen in the village appearance tearing his heart in two. She blinked at the sight of Naruto and then her face crumpled, rest her chin to her chest as her hands clutched near her breast.

"Sorry, Naruto….I was going to the temple…my father…" She was about to say more when she looked up at Naruto and felt her words stutter to stop.

He looked horrified and disgusted, but it wasn't at her. In fact he, wasn't meeting her eyes since his deep blue eyes were firmly looking to the floor and his hand were clenching so tightly that his palms began to bleed. The white shirt wore was already wet down the front and now even more tears were streaming down his face, his teeth gnashing to the point that should have snapped.

Naruto looked at her and stormed past, managing to choke but a few words; "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." When she turned to asking what he saying, she saw the blonde was already atop a building and racing away.

This scene was not unobserved, a pair of hung-over and revenge filled eyes gleaming with rage at the young demon container.

* * *

"…and as such I recommend that Ibiki take at least three days leave, after my psychological examination, every two weeks. His constant interrogations and emotional stress regarding his brother are being to led to a burnout in his professional and personal life. Here is Ibiki's file and my diagnostics." Hannibal said as he leaned forward and handed the folder to the Hokage, the village leader adorned in his presentational robes as they sat in his office. "Moving on to the incident that occurred last night with Naruto…"

"Ah yes, how is the young man handling the events of last night?" Sabatori asked in concern, Hannibal glancing around to ensure that they were alone.

"Well, he is suffering extreme bouts of guilt at what he did and I think that the torment and torture that he suffers are leading to a extreme case of self-loathing and depression." Hannibal said, folding one leg over the other as he laced his fingers in his lap. "The child only tapped into the demon's powers when he saw that I was in danger. Clearly, there is good intentions in his heart but the people here are too…stuck in their ways."

"Meaning?"

"I don't think I've ever such hypocritical bullshit in my life." Hannibal stated, his maroon eyes flashing in the sunlight before he continued. "He isn't the demon unlike their deluded sense of revenge would have them believe; clearly an obvious thing or he would have butchered all those that tormented him and then their families."

"Why, Lecter-san, I would dare guess that you have grown attached the young man, even after only knowing him for a short time." The much older man said knowingly.

Hannibal broke his gaze away from the leader of the village and looked out his window, over looking the whole village. It was true; he did feel a certain kinship with the young outcast and not just with the fact that he was a foreigner in the Eastern Lands. He could relate to not having a family and having those around you treat you lower than dirt, the mistreatment suffered by those that were favored.

He knew that his sympathy for the boy was unprofessional and extremely unwise due to his activities done behind closed doors, but it was impossible to deny. It wasn't a sexual interest in the boy because he had no attraction to men and it wasn't a thing of appetite as the boy had not been rude to him. No, this kinship he felt with the boy was exactly that; something of a family nature, like brothers or even a step-son.

"I can relate to his childhood, Hokage-sama." He said evenly, returning his gaze to the older man's face. "Hence why, with your permission, I wish to raise him."

"What?" Sabatori asked in disbelief, his pipe dropping from his mouth to his lap.

"Take him under my wing, so to speak. I will provide him with an education that will benefit him later in life and allow him to defend himself." Hannibal explained, making a continuous gesture with his hand. "Medical education, survival training, unarmed combat experience, literature and sciences….I can offer that boy a great deal more than what they are giving him now in that academy. A fact I know you are aware of."

"But Lecter-san, your work permits are set to expire in a few weeks time and to my knowledge, you have made no preparations to say another six months in the village." The Hokage pointed out in confusion and panic.

"No, I have not because I plan on going back to Monastery and the Medical Academy for a visit and then I will continue my travels."

"So how will you be able to…"

"Simple, Naruto will accompany me on my travels and learn from those that taught me, as well as myself."

"Lecter-san, I can't agree with that. This is Naruto's home." Sabatori began but was stopped when he saw the look that Hannibal gave him. "What?"

"This is home for him? A place that yearly tries to kill and that daily beats him for their sick and twisted amusement? A place were no one accept him as a son and he is forced to live on his own…since the age of five?" Hannibal asked incredulously. "This is no home for him, it's a purgatory that is continually taunting him to unleash the Kyubi no Kitsune's powers."

"Yes, it is harsh but there are other implications at hand, Lecter-san."

Hannibal leaned back and his entire presence became ice like as he regard the older man with a freezing cold look. "Oh, like the usage of the Kyubi as a weapon for this Village to abuse?" Hannibal asked belittlingly, scoffing. "Hokage-sama, this a child's life that we are talking about!"

"I am aware of that!" The Leader of the Leaf Village snapped, bristling with indignation.

"Then show it!" Hannibal leaned forward and his red eyes stared deeply into the Hokage's brown eyes. "I can read anyone, _anyone_, based upon their actions and words and you clearly love that boy, so show that you do."

The force that was within the Hokage wavered and then the left the older man, Sabatori lifting his hat from his head. Resting it on the table, he ran and thin hand through his thinning hair before slumping back in the chair. Hannibal eased back, seeing his words had finally reached the older man. He was earnestly and honestly looking out for the young boy they were discussing and he was being honest, their village was stunting his growth from becoming something good.

It was an obvious and logical thing; if you should someone continual and increasing levels of hatred for nothing that they did, two things would happen. The person hardens until they become a machine or their mind fractures into insanity, the person suddenly able to turn against their tormentors. The other logical venue was that they became masochistic yes-men, enjoying the pain that was given to them, and that was an option Hannibal refused to see happen.

Before he could add anything to his argument, a burst of smoke filled the sky and flicker of flames glowed from a slight distance. Hannibal gazed in curiosity at the random fire that seemed to occur, wondering why he felt a knot tightening in his stomach at the ominous body of charred air rise up. A body phased in the room, Hannibal swiftly glancing at the man in the wolf mask.

"Report, Chiyo-san?" Hokage asked swiftly, Hannibal already calculating the distance to Naruto's house and to his cane that was near the wall.

"There was a explosion in the Honsho District, in the Su'anoo Apartments." He barely got past what district the explosion was in when the door was ripped open by Hannibal. His shoes pounding the pavement as he raced paced people in the Hokage Tower to Naruto's house, his cane gripped tightly in his hand.

Something wasn't right, he could felt it.

* * *

Naruto was curled up in his apartment, his knees pulled to his chest and his head on his knees. His fingers were laced in soot filled hair as he sobbed and screamed in sorrow. He didn't care about the fire that cackled in the air and the burning tongues that licked his flesh. His shirt and scarf had long been reduced to ash, the fox quickly healing him as the flames razed his flesh.

The Kyubi howled, screamed, ordered and even begged the boy to run, to flee or to even leaving the room. It would be the first time he ever hear the mighty demon beg him to do anything, but the moment and the words were lost on him. The anguish he heard in his heart drove out anything vocal or spiritual, his skin numb to the physical pain. He had made the one girl that he remotely liked to lose her father and to suffer a pain that was worse that dying. Naruto knew that feeling to well and knew those that around him felt the same thing whenever they saw him.

A large beam of wood fell at his feet but Naruto didn't even flinch, lifting his head and leaning it against the wall behind him. He knew that the fox had limits but he didn't care, the demon in him the reason this all happened. Maybe this would be the best thing to have happen. If he let himself die in this raging blaze, maybe then the village could at long last let go of their rage and their hate and finally live some peace.

"NARUTO!" A voice pierced the blaze in his house and chaos of his head. "Hang on, kid! I'm almost there!"

Something sung in the air outside the door and then shards of his door fell at his feet. Looking up, Naruto looked back at the floor when he saw Hannibal was there, sword drawn and his head was wrapped in a soaked blanket. He leapt around the flames in the apartment and kicked some of the amber from near Naruto, unwrapping a soaking cloth from around his head. He covered Naruto in the damp cloth and tried to pick up, Naruto shoving the man away.

"Leave me alone!" Naruto screamed, Hannibal looking at the boy in confusion and panic. "I deserve this! Monsters don't deserve to live, so why should I be allowed to?!"

"You not a monster!" Hannibal screamed back, scrambling as a burning log fell near him. "You did what you had to do to survive!"

"That's a LIE!" Naruto wouldn't believe it, he couldn't. "I don't deserver mercy from anyone! I just want to die!"

Hannibal leapt to the boy's side and force the deep blues to look at his, his maroon eyes a begging crimson in fire light. The floor gave out in the center of the room and he managed to drag the boy a little bit from the edge. Naruto saw the desperation and worry on his face, not understanding why he was looking to Naruto like that.

"No, you're not to blame." Hannibal pleaded. "Blame those that forced you to do the horror!"

"THAT DEMON MADE EAT HIM!!" Naruto shrieked in rage. "THOSE PEOPLE KILL ME EVERY YEAR! How could you understand!?"

"Because I've done the same, Naruto!" Hannibal shouted back. "I have committed that wicked act a dozen times over!"

The silence around them was deafening, Naruto seeing Hannibal's firm and absolute face. There was no way that was possible. It was too impossible for the boy to even to hope for belief in, Hannibal pulling him to his feet.

"Naruto, come with me and I swear, I will tell you everything." Hannibal swore to the boy. "If you still think I can't help or that you deserve to die, then you can leave."

Naruto nodded numbly and Hannibal grabbed his small hand in his larger one, leading him around the hole when he stopped. Naruto hit his hip and saw that Hannibal was looking down in the hole, fear etched over his face.

The blonde followed his gaze and felt his face pale, his grip on Hannibal's hand tightening.

The apartment below him had a single parent family living beneath him, a mother and two daughters, a young girl and an infant. They were huddled in a corner, the mother screaming at a crib in the middle of the fires that kept the mother away. They didn't like him, blaming him for the misfortune that often fell upon their lives, and so they rarely spoke to him, the daughters too young to understand the hate. But now, after so many years, the hate that had been raging at him had finally spilt into innocent lives.

In this situation there was no way that Naruto should have felt responsible, he didn't start the fire and he didn't ask for the demon to come to the village. But the young boy still felt that he was the reason that the family, people that hated him, were in danger. Hence why Naruto didn't think, he just reacted.

Releasing the older man's hand, the demon container lunged from his room into the hole and landed near the crib in a deep crouch. A loud snap above his head resounded and he grabbed the baby, tearing it away from the crib as a pile of wood fell down around him. He flipped back and stumbled against a wall, watching as Hannibal reached the mother and daughter.

"Naruto! Get out, now!" The foreigner screamed, the blonde nodding as he saw a window.

He wrapped the soaked cloth that managed to cling to him so it covered the both of them and stepped along the wall. His blue eyes narrowed in determination and forced his chakra into his feet. Naruto put so much at his base that his chakra pushed away and gather around him in blue waves.

He then bolted at the glass panes and barreled through them, several pieces of glass embedding themselves in his back as he went through the air. The crowd that had gather quickly made a hole and his feet landed with a resounding thud, his free hand slapping against the ground as well as his right hand held the baby to his chest.

"You see! It's his fault, this filthy demon is the cause of everything!" A man screamed, waving a bandaged hand around and pointing feverishly at the boy. "Kill him! Save the girl while he's weak. You…-"

He stopped and Naruto could see why, Hannibal held his sword at the man's eyes with promise of pain to come written across his face. The young blonde breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to not have the man's screaming in his ears anymore. He looked down at the child, tenderly holding her with both hands and but blinked in confusion when he saw that her arm hanging limply.

He quickly looked at the baby, searching the face.

She wasn't breathing, her emerald eyes lifeless as they stared at him.

Naruto felt panic sweep his heart as he rubbed the infants chest, hoping to see it stir in some way. The people encircling him watched in hushed silence as he tried to wake the silent babe that had been screaming a moment ago. His eyes narrowed to keep the tears from his face and he held the child close to him, his sense searching for a heartbeat but finding very little. His eyes widened slowly was he found that he wasn't finding anything in her.

He felt the sorrow in him drag his heart down, but the rage in him swelled and ignited like the fires behind him. He gritted and bared his teeth, those that had been tempted to approach him backing further away. Throwing his head back, the sound that erupted from his lips was not of rage aimed at the world or at those that had tried to hurt him. It was aimed at the fact that he had failed this innocent child, unable to save anyone from an attack that had spilled over him and into another family.

The demonic chakra exploded around him and he looked down at the child, touching his forehead to the little girl's. He wouldn't give up! He couldn't, even as his consciousness faded and his body felt numb. The demon container searched for her precious heart in her tiny chest with the power and forced life to surge in it, ignoring the crowds. Ignoring the ANBU that yelled orders at him, the pleading of Hannibal as he focused on the desperate task at hand, Naruto fell to his knees.

He wouldn't let the Death Gods take her, she had…to live.

…._Bump…_

She…couldn't……..die…..

…_bump…ba bump…_

He……..couldn't….fail….again.

…_ba-bump……ba-bump……ba bump_

* * *

Naruto groggily opened his eyes, his entire body in a world of pain. This time he was in the hospital, the stinging clean smell that filled his nose a dead give away. He lifted his head and looked around, not seeing any other beds in the room. He tried to sit up but ever muscle coursed with sharp shooting pain, like thousands of needles had been shoved into each muscle. He didn't understand why it hurt so much and wondered had happened last.

…**You don't remember?...** The voice of the demon filled his ears but more of a whisper and he weakly shook his head. **…Think back, to last moment you remember…**

He frowned but then it came back to him; the temple, Sakura's face, the fires and the child…

His eyes widened and he surged to sit up sharply, but the pain nearly made him black out. Naruto clenched his hands and panted as he tried to push away the pain. He had tried to save that young girl but he passed before he knew for sure.

…_Did I save her?…_

…**.You drew a lot of my chakra through your body, not to mention the healing that I had to give you because of your stupidity…** Naruto felt his breathing quicken, despite how much it hurt. It was though he had overtaxed every muscle he possessed. **…Don't worry, the pain will pass within a few hours…**

…_I'm sorry…I was really stupid…_Naruto admitted stubbornly and he was surprised when the fox didn't immediately reply. That was like an open invitation for the demon to take a thousand attacks on his weak moral and pathetic personality.

…**Just remember that you carry more than one life in you…**

And with that, the demon left his presence and Naruto was left alone. He debated trying to make the Kyubi talk but he wasn't sure that she wanted to talk to him right now. He must have pulled a lot of his chakra through his body and that wasn't just taxing on Naruto. Maybe the Kyubi needed rest of her own and so, he let it rest within him.

As time passed he began to find that the pain lessened over time but never really left him, the young man soon able to sit up after roughly half an hour passed. But he didn't try anything else, rest his back on the headrest and staring off into space as he sat there. The sunlight filtered in from the window and birds peered in from the ledge. One small bird with ocean blue feathers and a black spot over it's left eye fluttered in and boldly rested near Naruto. The boy glanced at the small animal and held a finger out to the bird.

The creature studied the limb for a long time before hoping on it and glancing around the room. Naruto smiled and started when the door opened, the bird shooting off out the window. He looked at the door and relaxed a bit when he saw Hannibal walking, a white lab coat over his shirt and tie.

"Thank Mischa's soul, your alive…" Hannibal said in relief, walking swiftly over and proceeded to check the boy over. "You were lucky that we got you here when we did. You nearly burned all of your chakra from your body."

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly." Naruto said softly, nervously glancing at Hannibal. "Lecter-san, is the girl…"

"The one you saved? She's alive and well, all thanks to your heroic efforts." Hannibal said appraisingly, his cool fingers pressing on the boy's wrist. "Her mother is most grateful for all that you did."

The silence between them settled, Naruto looking past his new found friend and Hannibal focused on the task at hand. The young man had already put it together that he was a doctor after he mention that working at the hospital. He blinked softly and focused on Hannibal.

"…you knew, didn't you?" Naruto asked, elaborating when he saw the confusion on Hannibal's face. "You knew that I killed Sakura's father?"

"I was aware that Marukai had a daughter but I didn't know that you two were friends." Hannibal admitted. Naruto hung his head, realizing the logic of what his friend said but that didn't take the pain away. "I'm sorry you had to find out through someone else."

"It doesn't matter. I wasn't strong enough to resist."

"Not strong enough?" Naruto looked and saw the confusion on Hannibal's face. "You have resisted the dark taunts of that thing for over a decade and taken such a savage beating from the world around you for harboring that evil all this time. And because you let a fracture of the power out once in that decade, you say aren't strong enough?" He paused and almost turned away but instead looked at Naruto with concern. "If what you did was not strength, then what was it?"

For that, Naruto had no answer.

"Dr. Lecter is correct, Naruto-kun." A new voice drew their attention to the door and the both of them straightened at the sight of the Hokage. "You have shown remarkable strength to overcome the seductions of the Kyubi no Kitsune and have even saved a life with it. I can't find a better definition of strength."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Naruto said weakly, Sabatori crossing the room as he spoke and he watched as the two adults exchanged looks.

Naruto wondered what had been said between them because their was clearly something that had happened earlier. Hannibal was calmly regarding the older man with patient expression and the Hokage looked as though he was begrudging to admit something, as though he had just been shown that dragons really do exists in the world.

"Lecter Hannibal, I can see that you were right, based upon what has happened today and last night. Therefore, despite my reluctance, I had over Uzumaki Naruto's rising and wellcare to you." The old man raised a long thing finger to Hannibal's face. "Do not make me regret this decision or you will suffer a thousand times over."

Naruto was in a state of shock; was this really happening? He could see by the seriousness of the Hokage's face that this wasn't a cruel joke a Genjutsu, but the real thing. Hannibal must have seen his hopefully gaze because he glanced at Naruto and winked him, his hand squeezing his arm reassuringly.

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Hannibal said firmly, the next words forever engraved upon Naruto's heart. "I swear to raise Naruto as my own son and to make him the strongest ninja possible."

* * *

So I've finally gotten Naruto out of Konoha, at long last. I know a lot of people are wondering why I'm saying that and, to be honest, it's because I think his character stands a better chance of growing outside of it.

Sure, in the manga and anime he was all happy and positive and shit never got him down, but in reality, that never happens. Let's be honesty, people, bullshit like that would break the strongest person in the world, especially if they get told that they are pathetic even when they succeed. Hence my decision to get his ass out of Konoha.

If you have problems with the portrayal of the Hokage, at least this is the only chapter for a while that you will have to read of that. And with the reference made in this chapter, the history of Hannibal is coming very soon, possibly in the next chapter if I can work it just right. But we'll see.

Anyway, you all know the drill. Review and let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter while I work on the next one. Holla at everyone next time.

Oh and P.S. to Dirty Reid. Hate to disappoint you dude, I'm a Mr., not a Ms. :P

– Lin


	4. Our Grimm Reminder

Hmm, it's been a while since I was here but here is another chapter. Its more about the development and giving some explanations but it's got some import details inside so pay attention.

As always, I look forward to hear your thoughts, questions or even disagreements (if there are any) regarding the story in a review. I will reply in the story or via the reply review feature.

But anyway, here we go. Let's get back to the story

* * *

**Our Grim Reminder**

The silence in the hospital room was only penetrated by the muffled sounds of outside and the irritable beeping sound of the heart rate monitor. Naruto's poor head was still spinning from the news that had more or less been thrown in his face. Hannibal had left with the Hokage shortly after he announce suddenly that he was going to be adopting Naruto and it had been a good hour since anyone had entered the room. Maybe he had other patients to look after or Hannibal was running some kind of tests, the young blonde unaware of the normal procedures of the hospital.

Naruto suspected from their conversation at Hannibal's house that he was a doctor but this just confirmed it even more. It would also explain how Hannibal had been able to get him away from the crime scene he had made. He could have made up any excuse as to the reason that people were injured and given his position as a doctor, he would have been able to logically work himself around questioning. A useful trade, being a doctor; you were able to heal many things or use that knowledge of the body to further your attack on someone.

It was also a job that Naruto had a lot of respect for as well. While ninja's and other professions specialized in injuring peoples bodies or minds, doctors were those that tried to heal those that were in pain and nurture them back to health. He would have like to have been a healer of sorts but Naruto didn't think of himself as having enough intelligence for the job.

Naruto eased himself back in the hospital bed and looked out the window, a shadow crossing his face. Hannibal's profession was honestly not what the most pressing matter on his mind was at the moment. He was restless with the implications of what Hannibal had suggested in the burning house. Now that he was thinking clearly without the coursing stings of the chakra overuse, it came back very quickly and was glaringly obvious question. It could either mean that Hannibal was someone he could trust quiet closely with his unsettlement towards the act or that the older man would try and push him towards committing the act again.

Had Hannibal also committed the forbidden act of cannibalism?

It was a thought that made his throat tighten and his stomach twist like snake, the urge to vomit incredible. But it was also bringing a state of calm to him as well because, as disturbing as the thought might have been, it also meant that he wasn't alone. But what did that mean for him now? Lecter-san would take him in, great, but what next? Would he be tutored by him solely, would he stay in the Ninja Academy, would they travel?

And what if they did? What if they left Konoha so that Hannibal could train him better? Would they return to the village to visit or they never return unless summoned? His deep blue eye looked out of the window, looking across the vast village that he had called his home for so long.

It disturbed him a little bit that he really didn't mind if he left or not.

There was a soft knock at his door, drawing his gaze to the opening entrance of his temporary room. He was taken aback by the scowling face of the nurse, since he had clearly been expecting Hannibal to enter, and was puzzled when the woman stepped away from the door. He then felt his eyes widen when he saw the next woman that filled the space.

It was the woman who lived below him, the mother of the girl he had saved. Her hair had this slight green tinge to it and her figure was very slender, extremely athletic. It was actually deceptive that she had even had kids at all, but he suspected that it was due to her status as a ninja. Also, her eyes always jumped out to him, in their dark jade color entrancing like a deep lake. He wondered if the child, the one she cradled in her arms being the same baby he had saved, would take after her more noticeable traits.

Her lips spread into a wide smile, his own mouth half-heartedly returning the gesture. "I wasn't sure if you would be awake. The doctor said that you suffered from chakra overuse and severe chakra exhaustion."

"I'm…alright, I think. My "tenant" is trying to get my body better as quickly as possible." He said, gesturing to her with a wave to come in. "Come on, have a seat."

"Thanks." She crossed the room but not without speaking. "You know, for the longest time, I didn't like you or trust you. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that my father died during the attack of the Kyubi."

Naruto nodded, his gaze growing distant. It was true; a lot of parents, lovers and children had died to protect their home and loved ones from the demon that was sealed within him. He was able to understand the anger, just not why it had to be taken out on him all the time.

"But I was wrong, very wrong." He lifted his head and her vibrant smile, something he had never seen on her, was beaming at him as a tear escaped her right eye. "Instead of being the monster, you save my family from the fire and brought my baby back to life. I've never been happier to be wrong."

"I wouldn't say you were wrong…." Naruto said softly, looking down at the sheets in his lap. "I am a monster."

"That's not true, Naruto. That man-"

"-was telling the truth." The silence descended on them and the young man scoffed. "See, I am what you thought, what you feared."

"They were killing you again, weren't they?"

Naruto whipped his head to face her and his blue eyes met her green ones, her unexpectedly calm gaze offsetting him. He gulped as she looked to her right and chewed on her lip a little, the small child in her arms squirming, almost as if she could sense her mother's discomfort. She looked at a chair and pulled it over to the side of the bed, sitting down as she sighed.

"I know about that because my late husband once partook in the beatings." She admitted softly, her gaze dropping slightly. "And after he died, I did as well, although on a different date. It's why I've been removed from active duty for the past year and a half."

Naruto felt his brow crease and he felt his neck straighten as he tried to remember any specific attack about a year ago. It would have been disturbing to any other ninja as to how many times he had been attacked that he was unable to remember specific events like her attack. He closed his eyes and tired to think, why could he remember her distinct features.

His eyes snapped open; he didn't remember her face because her face had been covered by a mask. A white ANBU mask, with eagle markings on it. It had been in the winter, when he had been going home from the ramen stand and he took a wrong turn by accident. The ANBU had just appeared and the next thing he knew, blood was filling his vision as he felt himself rip apart. She had been fast, casting the technique before he even registered her presence and then punching him across the street. He had blacked out so times, only to wake up again under the rain of punches, only to hear her screaming at him.

It had been one of the few times that somebody had saved him, pulling her off him and ordering her back to the barracks before following her shortly afterwards.

"It was around November, wasn't it?" Naruto said softly, glancing at her. "In the alley just a block from my apartment."

She nodded silently, her mouth shaking slightly. "I…I had just been told about my husband….and I was so…angry. But that's a poor excuse for what I did to you, Uzumaki-san."

"It's in the past, so leave it there." Naruto said as he looked at her, smiling gently as she gaped at him. She could dare to believe it. "I don't need to hold a grudge with someone, especial after I saved her child."

"B-but…"

"Because if I were to hold a grudge against you and I now know that I am capable of killing someone…." He trailed off and rubbed his arm, his smile becoming uneasy. "Well, I don't think I should have saved her just to make her an orphan."

The mother was taken aback and the thoughts crossed her face before she smiled, Naruto joining her. She nodded and looked down at her baby again, cooing to the sleeping infant. Naruto meant what he said but he still could shake the image of such a violent attack from his head. It conflicted so much with this caring and gentle mother that sitting beside him right now.

He wondered if all the people in Konoha had such a double personality about them. If they were a loving husband, a sweet girlfriend, a doting son or a wise grandparent and then transformed in a ruthless killer or a barbaric savage when offered an outlet to their pains. He knew that when a person was pushed, when there was no choice left to them, that killing became as easy as breathing, but this was different. It was if their pretty little lie depended on him being able to take such a cruel beating.

Naruto focused he gaze back on the mom and she smiled. "Penny for your thoughts, Naruto?"

He blushed lightly and shrugged. "I'm just trying to deal with what I did…" Naruto paused, suddenly realizing that he didn't know her name.

"Hmm, I never told you my name, did I?" The mother said with a giggle. "That was really rude of me. My name's Shun Chika and this little sleepy head is Ume."

"She has a sister, doesn't she?" Naruto asked, trying to remember.

"Ah yes, Megumi her name. She's at school right now." Chika explaining the child's absence. "But that aside, what is it that you are conflicted about?"

Naruto looked away from her, biting the corner of his lip hard as he found himself forced to face his issues. "It's about the man that I…killed. I'm friends with his daughter…sort of."

The older woman nodded gravely. "A harsh predicament that you are faced with. It is hard to face her, with knowledge that you are responsible for her loss, I take it? I can understand that…"

* * *

Sakura hesitated outside Naruto's room, he hand hovering by the door handle. She didn't really want to be here, but her father's friend told her that she had to come her if she ever wanted to learn the truth of her father's death. And that was something that she had to discover.

She knew how strong her father was, knowing that only the strongest ninja that balanced their skills became Jonins. So, who ever had killed him had either been much stronger or deceived him. The pink hair girl squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to her tears from falling. Her mother was an emotional wreck right now and every night she cried herself to sleep, making Sakura cry all night long as well.

That was why she was here now, he had to know what happened to her father and if Naruto knew, then he had to tell her. He would do the same if someone killed his parents, so she knew she would help him. With that thought, she gripped door gently and pulled it open a fracture as she steadied herself.

And the voices carried out through that fracture. "How am I supposed to look face her ever again? I killed her father, the demon in me made me eat him, for Kami's sake."

"Do you think that she might forgive you one day?" A stranger, definitely a woman, asked him and the pause between them was deathly.

"I don't know. Her mom…she was so devastated and then when I saw Sakura-chan in the street…" His voice trailed off, but Sakura didn't even hear the stranger pick up the conversation.

Sakura felt her blood freeze, her eyes threatening to pop out if her and she couldn't hear anything but the thumping of her own heart. No, there was no way that Naruto had been able to kill her father, that was impossible. There had to be a mistake with what he was saying.

But then, as though she was finally able to see the complete picture of an elaborate puzzle, his comment from yesterday echoed in her head…._I'm sorry, Sakura-chan_…..Why had he said that to her unless he had done something to her.

Sakura felt her heart stop, her hand releasing the door as though it gave her an electric shock.

Naruto had killed her father.

With that single, horrifying thought screaming in her head, Haruno Sakura fled the hospital.

* * *

"I don't know, it depends on how quickly you make peace with yourself about the situation." Chika reassuringly offered, Naruto grimacing. "And you will, eventually."

"How can you say that? After what I did…"

"It was your life or his. That's a choice we ninjas face every mission and we have to make the best decision at the time." Chika reinforced as the young man lowered his gaze but she held hers. "Yes, taking a life is never easy, it isn't meant to be easy. Life is too precious for us to treat it cheaply and take so effortlessly, but sometimes we have to and we can only hope that the pain doesn't affect too many people."

Naruto nodded, the words coated in bitterness as he was forced to swallow them. Because he knew she was right, he knew he would have to get over it one day or he would never be able to be a ninja. And he couldn't afford to not to become a ninja after Hannibal had put his reputation and his life on the line for the young man. This was one of those lessons that could never be taught to someone, but it just had to be experienced and then endured.

He may hate this particular lesson, but he resolved to strive through it. The young blonde looked to the single mother again and this time his gaze focused on the sleep innocence in her arms, the adorable infant girl sleep so peacefully. He lifted his gaze up and met the smile that Chika was giving him, his own spreading on his face.

"You know, I might be leaving the village soon, but…if you didn't mind of course…could I come and see you and your kids when I come back?" Naruto asked hopefully and Chika beamed at him welcomingly.

"Hmm, I would like that." The Jonin woman said with warmth and then gave him a mischievous smile. "And I think you should when you see her eyes…"

"Why do you say that?" Naurto said as he peered over at the little child, the young thing yawning adorably as its eyes blearily opened. "I'm sure her eyes…are…absolutely…"

And there they were, tiny Ume's eyes peeking through her cracked eyes but that was enough for Naruto. The color was bright enough to shine through her eyelashes, almost glowing in the dimly lit room. And they caught his breath.

He never thought that this kind of reaction was possible and suddenly wished he had forced the life into her another way. But he knew that the eyes were the strongest pathways to the chakra coils thanks to Iruka-sensei's lessons and if had sent it through her heart, her tiny muscle would have been incinerated by the sheer force he had been putting behind it No, the eyes had been the safest choice for the matter at the hand, especially with his lack of control.

"I...I...I didn't mean to..." Naruto began as the groggy infant gazed at the blonde, the older child about to start hyperventilating.

"Don't be upset, Naruto." Chika said soothingly and he calmed at the sight of the motherly smile she had on her face. "I actually think they suit her better than the family yellow ones."

Naruto gulped and looked at the child once more, the tiny orange eyes of the baby slowly fading shut as he watched her.

* * *

Chika stayed for a few moments longer after revealing the extent of Naruto's actions and making him promise to visit her before he left the village, the young man agreeing quite happily. Once she left, the young blonde was left to his thoughts again and the room sank into its beeping and muffled noise of the outside again. Considering the words of what a seasoned ninja had just told him, the young man knew she had been right but he just wasn't ready to accept what had been said but he was ready for one thing.

He was ready to accept responsibility for what he had done.

He wouldn't hide behind Hannibal or even the Kyubi on this matter because he was painfully aware of the truth. Naruto hung his head and sighed as he neither looked upset or angered by what he was thinking, rather resigned to the truth he had discerned for himself; he had been too weak to handle the trouble on his own, so Hannibal had come to his rescue and was then dragged into trouble. The foreigner probably could have managed but Naruto had been far too hasty and accepted the power, and the malice, of the fox. Had it not been for his own weakness and if he had been able to defend himself properly, then he wouldn't have even been in such a situation in the first place.

The young container closed his eyes slowly; people had died from his weakness. That was the raw and simplest truth that he had come to after siting in the room and left to his own thoughts.

But this was when the incredible optimism and reckless determination that made up most of Uzumaki Naruto's mind surged through his thoughts in such a cold fury and scalding confidence that even the Kyubi no Kitsune felt the change from his earlier gloom and his cerulean blue eyes burned with this new desire. Many people felt that this aspect of Naruto was what got him into so much trouble and that his brash and brazen behavior was a result of this kind of thinking that he always had, while others just presumed to blame the Kyubi.

"I want to be stronger, strong enough that that I won't have to call on the Kyubi." Naruto said aloud in a low tone, the fox's spirit smiling craftily in its seal as the demon heard these words. "I want to be strong enough to protect people with my own two fists and maybe one day harness the power of the demon safely."

The Kyubi was surprised by that last part and its consciousness rose up, sending a heat from Naruto's stomach to let him know that it wished to speak with him.

"**Use it safely? Whatever happened to destroying me or getting rid of me?"** The Kyubi asked curiously, Naruto almost imagining that it was sitting in the seat that Chika was in before.

"You're as much a part of me as any limb that I may have or any cruel thought in my head. Unlike them, you just tend to talk back to me more." Naruto said, the demon fox growling but in a playful way. "Even you must have guessed that it would kill either one or both of us if we were unbound from one another."

The fox's amused and intrigued attitude faded into something far more somber. "**Indeed, I have had my suspicions about our seal for some time now." **Kyubi snarled and Naruto winced a the seal made his stomach twist and tighten, the pain suddenly gone. "**That Hokage of the time gave his life to seal me and so the seal is a Life and a Death wish, something no demon could ever break.**"

Naruto nodded, remembering the demon's words that had been and the attitude it had when he woke from giving so much chakra to Ume and when he had been made to...well...

Naruto narrowed his gaze in thought. The Kyubi really didn't want him to consume that man's blood and it was almost tender to him when he had tried to use its powers for a good cause. Like it was letting him sort out what kind of being he was and which way he would use his power or its power, curious to figure out what road Naruto would take to

"What did you mean the other morning about 'preparing me'? Preparing me for what?" Naruto asked, trying to maintain his calm tone.

"**Is that something you really feel you are ready to hear about now?**" The Kyubi asked evenly, the female voice tight. "**Especially considering what has happened and what I had to do?**"

Naruto hung his head. "I'm sorry…"

"**Considering what I had made you do, I think I can accept that apology and let the anger you bared at me before slide…this time only though.**" The Demon added mockingly stern, Naruto grinning as he could see it pointing a finger at him in warning. "**And the preparations were for your body, so it could handle using demonic chakra as well as your normal chakra.**"

"So it won't feel like boiling water through veins or that my muscles are being roasted?" Naruto asked curiously.

"**Who knows? Our chakra, it effect each person differently than the next.**" The Kitsune no Kyubi explained, the young blonde nodding understandingly. "**But, sadly, the consumption of raw flesh will help the process and since human flesh is the most saturated flesh next to demons or summoned beasts…**"

Naruto gulped and looked down at his hands. He hated the fact that he would even toy with the idea of eating another person, making his very soul twist and burn at the notion of indulging in cannibalism. There had to be another way, there just had to be a more humane way of controlling the demonic…

And that was when the reality of the situation hit him square in the face, like a sword to solar plexus. He was trying to find a "human" answer to deal with a "demonic" problem.

Despite what he may occasionally think about human nature, he knew that humans and demons were divided by planetary gaps in their powers and their existences. Naruto then realized the futility of him trying to conquer the demon in him on his own, but also realized the sheer miraculous skill that had gone into sealing the demon within him. The Fourth Hokage had been able to transcend the bounds of a normal man and saved his entire home with an incredibly feat that was borderline ethereal.

"…what happens if I don't?" Naruto asked softly, the demon seeming to respect his hesitancy as he heard the being shift slightly in him with a gently growl.

"**Over the time, you will become accustom to the power but you will have to endure me taking control of your body several more times. Gauging how you accepted my chakra this time around…**" The demon hesitated briefly before continuing. "**You will be in your late forties to early fifties before you can truly command my power fully.**"

"…oh…well, that…sucks" Naruto said as he felt his hopes deflate even more. "So I have to….eat….people, for the rest of my life…"

"**Whoever said it would be for the rest of your life, Naruto?**" The Kyubi asked, Naruto's head snapping up as he felt the small spark of hope in his heart.

"What? You mean…?"

"**A pound of flesh and a pint of blood if what you will be required to take from people, but depending on who it's from will depend on the amount of your consumptions.**" The Demon explained carefully, Naruto alert to every single detail that came out of the demon's mouth….so to say. "**If you do it from more like that man we consumed the other night, I suspect that you would only need to consume another…fifty men? If it were someone like your Hokage or like the **_**man**_** that sealed me away, the number would be far smaller.**"

Naruto was relieved by this information but it still didn't make him feel that much better. "I would still be a man-eater though…"

"**It is a better alternative than losing your mind each battle.**" The demon pointed out, Naruto just able to feel the being in him smiling slightly. "**And maybe you could give yourself a better title.**"

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"**Man-Hunter, perhaps?**" The Kyubi quipped and Naruto found it in himself to chuckle a bit.

"At least it sounds cool…" He said softly, laying back slowly. "I'm going to try and rest…but I'll think it over."

"**Very well, child of the Leaf Village. Rest now…**" The demon said, a soothing heat seeping through Naruto's body and soon he was lulled into unconsciousness by the demon and by his exhaustion.

* * *

Hehe, just what have I done to set up this poor blonde for his future? Probably something that even I will be surprised at him surviving.

I do apologize for the serve lapse in updating this story but I have face some very interesting challenge and tough decisions over the past year. I am sorry that I have left this story on the wayside….but I really did need to step back and look at where I was going and what I was planning. I felt that I was making too big and too extreme for what I really wanted. So I thank everyone for the patience and hope that I can update much sooner than the last time.

Anyway, please do review; review and let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter while I work on the next one, as reviews often let me know if I am on the right track with a story. Holla at everyone next time.

Lin


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